BMP-2
The BMP-2 (Russian: БМП-2) is a Soviet armored personal carrier introduced in the 1980s, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s. Its variants are the BMP-2D and the BMP-2 obr. 1986. The BMP-2 was originally going to replace the BMP-1 but instead it supplemented it. Overview and tactics *Armed with an average Konkur ATGM and a decent autocannon, the BMP-2 is a rather good versatile transport and offers the PACT the opportunity to field ground autocannons in decent numbers. *The BMP-2 can be used as dedicated antitank units both for assault as well as defense, while the latter is viable. BMP-2s are best used on the offense due its decent speed and the ability to carry troops as well as ATGM support. *BMP-2s ATGM can be devastating against NATO heavy armor, when this is combined with the low cost and quantities of this unit, it becomes a decent workhorse for PACT pushes; however, it may still require support from tanks such as the T-55 series and BT-60s in order to have a screen to shield them against incoming enemy fire. *While the autocannon can do a decent amount of damage against enemy helicopters, it's always a good idea to bring some additional long range AA support as decent players may keep their airforce out of range of the BMP-2's autocannons. *Always have your BMP-2s supplied as they have a rather modest number of ATGMs. Also consider that the BMP-2s need to stay static in order to fire and guide their missiles; this may make them vulnerable to counter-attacks. Having recon units to maximize their range benefits and spot a possible ambush is recommended. History Although the BMP-1 was a revolutionary design, its main armament, the 2A28 Grom and the 9S428 ATGM launcher capable of firing the 9M14 Malyutka and the 9M14M Malyutka-M ATGMs, quickly became obsolete. Therefore the Soviet Union decided to produce an updated and improved version of the BMP-1. The main emphasis was put on improving the main armament. In 1972 work got underway to develop an improved version of the BMP-1. During its combat debut in the Yom Kippur War, Egyptian and Syrian BMPs proved vulnerable to .50 calibre machinegun fire in the sides and rear, and to 106 mm recoilless rifles. The 73 mm gun proved inaccurate beyond 500 meters, and the AT-3 Sagger missile could not be guided effectively from the confines of the turret. Several Soviet technical teams were sent to Syria in the wake of the war to gather information. These lessons combined with observations of western AFV developments resulted in a replacement program for the original BMP in 1974. The first product of this program was the BMP-1P upgrade, intended as a stopgap to address the most serious problems with the existing design. Smoke grenade launchers were added to the rear of the turret and the manually guided AT-3 Sagger missile system was replaced with the semi-automatically guided AT-4 Spigot and AT-5 Spandrel system. The BMP-1P was in production by the late 1970s and existing BMP-1s were gradually upgraded to this new standard during the 1980s. In the Soviet Army, BMPs were issued to the motor rifle battalions of tank regiments. In a typical motor-rifle division, one motor-rifle regiment had BMPs, the other two had wheeled BTRs. Weapons Red Dragon Gallery BMP-2_swf.jpg|Database image Bmp-2_bmp-2.png|Database specifications See also * *BMP-1 - Predecessor *BMP-3 - Successor Category:European Escalation vehicles Category:AirLand Battle vehicles Category:Red Dragon vehicles Category:Infantry Fighting Vehicle